LEDs typically have a higher life expectancy than conventional illuminants such as e.g. light bulbs or compact fluorescent lights. Nevertheless, there is also a need in LED modules to detect an impending failure of the LED module. In particular, it is important to detect an impending failure of the LED module which is not due to a failure of one of the LEDs, but rather to another ageing phenomenon of the LED module. These other ageing phenomena lead typically distinctly more frequently and sooner to a failure of the LED module than the ageing of the LEDs themselves.
From the related art, it is known that individual operating parameters of illuminants, e.g. the voltage applied in constant current operation, gradually change with increasing age of the illuminant and therefore a residual life expectancy of the illuminant can be estimated.